Photoshop.com: Ben Heine’s interests have always been eclectic. As a boy, he explored everything, from drawing, painting, and writing poetry to music and athletics. He earned a degree in journalism, but chose to follow his passion for graphic arts. He eventually added photography to his repertoire because it empowers him to create images that are more eye-catching, dramatic, precise, and realistic than most paintings or illustrations. Today, Heine is equal parts artist and photographer, creating commissioned works for clients such as McCann Erickson and Diesel, while still making time for personal projects. His Digital Circlism series, for example, features portraits of celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Steve Jobs, and Lady Gaga, created completely from tiny circles, while his Pencil Vs Camera project blends photos with illustrations in surprising juxtapositions. In the end, his images are like paintings and he signs each one, just as he would a traditional piece. Here, Heine offers Photoshop.com a glimpse into his imagination and process.

Photoshop.com: Which piece of equipment couldn’t you live without and why?

Ben Heine: My computer, softwares and the Internet are the connections among all my activities as a creative person. Adobe® Photoshop® software is essential too. I love the fact that Photoshop enables artists to control every aspect of their expression in the context of a friendly interface. It’s the software that extends my abilities, allowing me to boost the content and the form of any picture, all with great performance that keeps me in the creative flow.

You have studied art, painting, sculpture,
journalism and you are self-taught in digital photography and drawing. Which one was
your first passion and why?

Drawing was my initial obsession and my first love, because it’s easy to carry a pencil and a piece of paper. I used to draw all the time, everywhere. I needed to draw to express my emotions. Painting was the transition between drawing and photography. I studied Journalism for fun, but unfortunately working in an office just didn’t suit me.

Was there a defining moment when you knew that it was
time to become an artist professionally or was it a gradual transition?

It was a gradual evolution. I realized very early in my life that I would spend a huge amount of time and energy working on visual projects. I never sought to become an artist specifically or to conform to what it might mean to be an artist,it’s just the closest descriptor for what I am.

The new Blur Gallery is a great addition because I use blur effects frequently. I also love the enhancements in the freshly refined interface, including a very easy and intuitive adjustment panel, and clearer and more visible control buttons. The dark background of the new interface is an excellent idea because users can now focus more easily on what's really important: the image itself. Finally, the top of the top for me is the instant-recovery option so I can worry less about working with large files.

Mainly nature, cities and people. Nature represents a divine energy for me. I spend several hours a week walking in forests to fill my creative well and take time to think about my future projects. Animals are a great inspiration too. I love to portray them in my drawings. I am also fascinated by interactions between people. I love observing them and getting inspiration from their actions and decisions. And big cities are just beautiful to look at, I see each monument or building as a giant and complex sculpture.

I use Photoshop in my photographic and illustrative work on a
daily basis. I see this software as a modern and far more sophisticated
digital version of the old photo enlargers that photographers used in
darkrooms when analog photography was the most advanced technology
available. Personally, I believe Photoshop is the best graphic
tool to help me improve the quality, value, form, and content of my
pictures. Let’s be honest, what cameras can do nowadays is really mind blowing,
but nothing compares to what Photoshop can do. A photograph from a
camera

will show you the Eiffel Tower exactly as it is. But with a bit
of imagination, hard work and the help of Photoshop, an artist can transform the
same subject in a montage depicting an upside down Eiffel Tower in
the middle of a jungle with dancing giraffes in the sky... Photoshop is
the tool that enables me to bring more meaning and originality to an
otherwise random or insignificant photo.

How did you get the idea to mix drawing and photography in your Pencil Vs Camera series?

The idea came while I was watching television and writing a letter at the same time. Reading my letter before putting it in an envelope, I saw the television screen behind the thin transparent paper. I then realized it would be great to create this illusion on a single surface, something that would show two complementary actions, each action being depicted by a distinct artistic tool (pencil and camera). I really wanted to find a way to blend photography and drawing distinctively but harmoniously in a single picture. I went outside and drew Pencil Vs Camera - 1, a very simple and minimal drawing. In my other Pencil Vs Camera images, I tried to bring in more meaning by adding weird and surrealistic elements on the paper to contrast more with the realism of the photo. The latest innovation in the series is the introduction of colored drawings and black paper instead of white paper.

This image was made near Braives’ church located in the Belgian province of Liège featuring my friend Davide Gentile, an Italian film director, holding a camera with a huge lens. In this instance, I made the drawing in a traditonal way at the chosen location, rather than at home. When the sketch was completed, I took a picture of it, holding the piece of paper in my hand. It's possible to achieve similar results with digital tools, by doing a sketch in Photoshop, for instance. For this approach, working with a graphic tablet is the best option to do smooth drawings. But remember, in both cases, the sketches are always handmade and both methods are time consuming, involving work and creativity!

I like Pencil Vs Camera – 63 very much because it’s in color, one of my recent improvements in the Pencil Vs Camera series, and because it’s powerful and still looks unfinished somehow. I also like Pencil Vs Camera – 30 because it symbolizes the whole concept of the series. The main character on the paper is holding a camera that is throwing out many symbolic objects. There are six hidden letters in the sketch composition: P-E-N-C-I-L. The viewer doesn’t know really which medium is actually doing the magic, is it the camera or is it the pencil? I think this image is a good metaphor of Pencil Vs Camera, which is all about illusion, 3D, dreams, augmented reality, and fantasy.

There is a clearly noticeable progression in my development. I started doing very simple visuals and my work became more complex and time consuming in the recent years. My leitmotif is to push boundaries and do innovative art. I like to live every creative moment intensely. I always want to renew my goals and find new challenges. It’s also important for me to constantly follow new directions and not be afraid of criticism. I need to surprise myself if I want to surprise the people who follow me.

You have several original series that showcase new
viewpoints with Pencil Vs Camera, Flesh and Acrylic, and Digital
Circlism. What’s next for you?

That’s the big question. Pencil Vs Camera is almost over. I’ll need to do something else very soon. I’m thinking about launching a new series: possibly some portraits made of small pieces of colored crumpled paper. I’d also like to bring in some music to my graphic universe. I don’t know how exactly, this is my new challenge.

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⚑ Short Profile

Ben Heine is a Belgian multidisciplinary visual artist and music producer born in 1983 in Ivory Coast. His name became famous in 2010 with the invention of a new art form titled "Pencil Vs Camera". He is an accomplished illustrator and photographer, with numerous works widely regarded in both the art and design worlds. He is also the creator of other original art series titled "Digital Circlism and "Flesh and Acrylic". His creations have been featured in newspapers and magazines worldwide and since 2010 his works have begun to populate art galleries and museums in Europe, Asia and Russia. A documentary about his work was released in 2012. Heine started producing and composing music in 2012.